Windows rolled down, bitumen flying beneath us and a van filled with excited travellers, ready to have a roadtrip experience like no other! My time to go on a We travel Co adventure had finally come, and we were off to the Blue Mountains!

Sam Hilton, founder of We Travel Co, had a wanderlust enthusiasm so contagious, the other travellers and I could not help but share the same excitement. I had never been on a roadtrip before.

We Travel Co was founded in 2012, after Sam decided he could no longer contain his passion for travel, spontaneity and sharing multicultural experiences. He bought the Supervan, invited like minded travellers to join the adventure , and began a series of road trip expeditions to discover Australia’s greatest hidden treasures.

Once we reached the stunning Govett’s leap lookout, we had a quick bite to eat, slipped on our hiking boots and set out on the Pulpit Rock trail. Though it wasn’t a difficult hike, it was scenic at every stage, and the 360 degree views of the mountains and valleys were indescribable. I don’t think my eyes had ever had the pleasure of seeing such magnificent scenery.

Little did we know, this was only a taster of what the rest of the weekend would offer. It wasn’t long before we were hitching a ride with a local, in a four wheel drive climbing through the rugged terrain, just waiting in wild anticipation to discover a place adaptly named, The Lost City.

My experience in The Lost City is one that left my mind blown and my heart overjoyed. Pillars of red rock and an endless expanse of charcoaled trees surrounded me, as the sun slipped lower and lower, hinting that the grand finale was to come. And boy oh boy, did it! Watching the sun finally set, with the travellers that sat beside me, from a cave that had been illuminated by the sun’s golden rays, was no less than glorious.

Sam had shared with me earlier in the trip, that he believes there is no better way to experience Australia than on a spontaneous roadtrip and I could not have agreed more. We Travel Co took me where no other travel company dares to, and I know without a doubt, that I got to experience the greatest, unknown parts of the Blueys.

We Travel Co is all about gathering those wanderlust adventurers from around the globe, giving them access to the most spectacular locations, activities and experiences Australia has to offer.

It’s exciting to think that the company still has so much more instore. During the trip I talk with and was interested to learn about his future plans for We Travel Company

“We are upgrading from the ‘supervan’ to the ‘super bus’ and we’ll be streaming video live from the roadtrip, it’s awesome because viewers from every corner of the globe can connect and share in the experience. The creative aspect is great, we’ve seen lots of young, fun, vibrant, creative people inspired by travel, wanting to be involved and have been collaborating on the project. We’ve had musicians, artists, web and graphic designers, photographers, filmmakers contribute from all over the world which is really cool to see, we even had one bloke from Austria who came on a trip with his accordion and entertained us by playing the Super Mario Bros theme song. We are creating a TV and web series, augmented reality game, interactive map and mobile app. Our aim is connect travellers to share culture and experiences , through our digital strategy we can provide a fun, simple, easy to use digital platform where traveller’s can find inspiration and design their own personalised Australian roadtrip adventure while also offering professional advice. Travellers will have access to a huge database of popular maps created by our team and other members within the community. We are also looking to partner with travel and tourism industry professionals to offer exclusive deals and packages to our followers, just our way of saying thankyou for supporting us” – Sam Hilton Founder

They say time flies when you’re having fun, and that was definitely the case with our weekend venturing throughout the Blue Mountains, drinking in all that it had to offer. Though the memories of all that I experienced on the We Travel Co adventure are still fresh, I have no doubt that they will stay with me forever.

Watch this short VIDEO of Kate’s Spontaneous travel adventure with We Travel Company

Every traveler who plans to visit Australia on a working holiday visa has to decide at some point , wether to buy a car or not. Of course there are a lot of reasons to buy one. You could use it for sleeping in and save the money you would spend on a hostel. With a car you are free to go wherever you want. Some jobs even require you to have your own transport. But those are just a few reasons.

So you decided to buy a car for your travels, no matter if it’s a van, 4WD or station wagon, what now? Of course, this is not an instruction on how to buy a car, but I want to give you some advice that is essential to know before buying it. If you keep the following tips in mind when buying a second hand car, the chances are excellent that you will get a reliable, safe car for your roadtrips!

We Travel Co – The Roadtrip Diaries

1) Find the vehicle that fits your needs.

What type of vehicle do you need? gas, petrol, diesel? Avoid LPG if you are planing to go to central Australia.

Will the registration cover your whole stay? Registration for your car in another state can be expensive. Check with the states government roads department and the insurance company if the rego and insurance is transferable.

2) Important Questions

Does the vehicle have a service book and history?

Does it have any damage?

Is it due for a service?

Does everything work?

Are the tyres in a good condition?

Is there any money owing on the car?

You should ask these questions on the phone when first contacting the seller. You should even check references about the vehicle and the person, after all you will invest a lot of money in that car.

3) Check the vehicle thoroughly

Take a close look at the vehicle by walking around it at least three times! Some things do not catch your eye at first. Open all doors, check all locks, windows, look underneath the car, check the tyres and rego. Then you should do a test drive for 20 to 30 minutes, going all common speeds. If the condition seems fine after the test drive carry out a PPSR and state rego check, with this you can be sure the car isn’t under finance, stolen, repairable finance write off or under police investigation.

4) Book and carry out a prepurchase vehicle inspection (for example at www.allthingscars.com.au), this is by far the most important thing when buying a used car.

5) If the car comes up as good, buy it! All prices are negotiable in some range. Go by the phrase: It is better to pay more for the best one than less for the worst one!

On the road to Byron Bay

Another thing you should always keep in mind, don’t spend a fortune on a vehicle just because it’s sold with all the things you need to live in it! Find out what the car itself is worth and pay that. Chances are your getting the camping and kitchen stuff cheap or for free.

Basic camping gear

Also, if you are buying an older vehicle, it’s imperative to check the water and oil every day! If you are not 100% sure how to do this, find a mechanic and ask him to show you.

Check the water and oil everyday

Now, that you know the way to get a used car in a good condition, there are some more things I want to let you know before you hit the road.

Travel with a basic tool kit

Always travel with a basic tool kit! “It is always better to have the tools and no idea than no tools and no idea”.

Buy a cooking stove and BBQ-plate, it will be very handy on the road and everyone will join you for a BBQ at the most beautiful locations. What is better than chilling by a beach while having a BBQ with friends?

BBQ enjoying the sunset

Get yourself a fishing rod and a surf board. Learning how to surf is fun and catching dinner out of the ocean or a river is tasty and a great way to save some money!

A spontaneous rendezvous with 2 french travellers Pierre and Perrick in the Tallows beach car park. We met this 2 funny frenchies during our time in Noosa.

Peirre and Perrick and their Austrian friends join the roadtrip!

They were also planning to travel down to Sydney and had met 2 Austrians during a work and stay at a farm near Coolum. A handshake, an invitation to join the roadtrip diaries was a pivot point for a unbelieveable experience in the days follow. It became a defining point in all our lives and affirmed why travel is such a special experience to be shared.

Our own secluded beach for the afternoon

We eased into it taking a stopover in Minnie water. We found a paradisiac, deserted beach got wet and played in the shore break, bodysurfing buzzing off the energy of the waves and our surroundings.

Erica and Gemma took a dip in the beautiful blue oceanThe boys getting radical in the powerful shore break

After we kicked back on our own beach and enjoyed some Cock + Bull while our new troop got to know each other. Nothing like a few cock + bulls to break the ice!

We get to know our new travellers sharing some Cock + BullPierre and Perrick stoked on Cock + Bull

We spent the late afternoon listening to the Austrian Florian oozing out classic tunes on the guitar and accordian, backing vocals supplied by the sounds of nature all around us.

Florian from Austria shares his talent playing us songs on his accordion.Florian from Austria shares his talent playing us songs on his accordion.Perrick and Flo jamming

Sitting around together, sipping on cock + bull, the light softening, I think we were all in a good place excited for the adventure in the days to come.